Confused by All Those Groups Fighting in Syria? We Break it Down with Arm Patches

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Since Syria's civil war began six years ago, dozens of forces have been fighting to hold sway. Now many have united in eastern Syria against Islamic State with U.S. backing as the Syrian Democratic Forces, but they still wear the signature badges and insignia of their militias. The largest is the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, and their female counterparts, the YPJ, about 25,000 strong, notable for their bright red and yellow patches, some of which feature the likeness of their Kurdish nationalist founder, Abdullah “Apo” Ocalan, imprisoned by Turkey for terrorism. Other forces fighting militants in eastern Syria include the Free Syrian Army, the Revolutionary Army, and the Syriac Military Council, or MFS…